


Only Heart

by lornrocks



Category: The Eagle | The Eagle of the Ninth (2011)
Genre: Canon, Fill, M/M, Romance, Slash, Spoilers, kinkeme, promptfest, seriouslytheyarecanon, so beautiful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-25
Updated: 2013-06-25
Packaged: 2017-12-16 03:48:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/857418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lornrocks/pseuds/lornrocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on this prompt: <i>Marcus is trying to come to terms with wanting to make out with his quiet slave, and having all kinds of angst about being a good MASTER and not taking advantage. While Esca is just quietly waiting for any sign that Marcus might want him to heat his bed. </i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Only Heart

He knows that these thoughts are wrong, immoral. But watching the quiet blond as he does simple tasks, like hunting or tending to the horses, makes him stand straighter. Marcus doesn't want to be the type of master who treats his slaves like objects, something to be used and thrown away later. He doesn't want to admit it, but Esca is different.

When the two of them topple off the horses and on to the earth below, he feels the betrayal in his chest and he's tied up and dragged and despite the evidence against it, the whole time, a gentle longing in his chest dares to hope that his slave hasn't really betrayed him, after all.

When he's awoken on the beach by pale hands and hushed whispers, he's so relieved that he blurts out, "I thought I'd lost you," and immediately realizes what he's said. It's too late, and they continue onward with the Eagle, and all the while Marcus just wants to be close to Esca again, _his_ Esca.

As they hide in the freezing river, he finds his entire world has shrunk to the small places where Esca's warm body covers his own, holding him above the water, and he knows that all he can do is let Esca pull him through the current. They settle on the bank and Marcus' is too feverish, too weak, to go on. Hesitating could mean certain death for them, and so Marcus does what he knows he must: He frees Esca, hoping- No, praying- that he'll go far enough away that no one will try and hurt him, because he _has_ to, it's all he can do-

-But then Esca is handing the Eagle back to him, holding his face in his hands, making promises about coming back, and Marcus thinks, _you can lie to me_ , because why would the man be kind to him after all that he's done? But then he's kissing him, and Marcus finds himself warmer as Esca disappears from view. The warmth carries him through his next task, gives him the strength to fight when the Seal People catch up to them and the lost legion returns.

Later, after they give back the Eagle and return home, when Marcus carefully links Esca's fingers with his own, the other man just smiles and kisses him soundly. He pulls away, murmuring, "What took you so long?"

"I was not sure that someone like you could love someone like me," Marcus confesses, feeling for once that he was being ridiculous. But it doesn't seem to matter, because Esca is reaching up to card long fingers in short, dark hair and he's smiling.

"There is no you and me. Now, there's just us."

"Us," Marcus repeats, and it's perfection.

**Author's Note:**

> Written forever ago for LJ.


End file.
